The thrill of a lifetime keeps on thrilling for Danny Rouhier, who joined TNT's "Inside the NBA" Tuesday night to interview Charles Barkley as Charles Barkley.
So far in the past week, one of Rouhier's Barkley impressions went viral on Twitter, was played for Barkley on "Inside the NBA," resulting in Barkley giving the impression his blessing and Shaq later calling Rouhier out on Twitter, saying, jokingly, "Anybody can do a sorry ass Barkley. Let me hear you do a Shaq impression."
Then came late, late Tuesday evening.
After recapping the night's NBA playoff games, the "Inside the NBA" crew — consisting of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaq and Barkley — pulled a rabbit out of its hat for the night cap, closing out the show around 2 a.m. ET with Rouhier (appearing remotely from the 106.7 The Fan studios in D.C.) interviewing Chuck as Chuck.
Chuck interviews Chuck 😂@funnydanny joins the Inside crew to show off his incredible Charles impersonation. pic.twitter.com/IxsnhWiSFC
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 9, 2021
Below is a transcript of how the mock 'interview' went. Scroll to the bottom of this post for video of the entire segment.
Johnson set the stage by replaying Rouhier's viral impression and calling it "the best I have ever heard."
Ernie: So we thought, 'How do you take that to the next level?' And here's how. You have Charles Barkley interview Charles Barkley. Danny Rouhier joins us from Washington, D.C. And I'm looking forward to Chuck interviewing Chuck.
Danny: First of all, it's a pleasure to have me here. It's an honor. Like I say, I've been doing this for many years, and I've been doing this for a very long, and it's good to be appreciated. I was listening to y'all talk before I came on the air, and, we didn't win as many awards as we should have. I'm spilling some industry secrets. Back to you, Ernie.
Ernie: Watchu got for the Chuckster? What have you always wanted to know?
Danny: Well, this is the first question for Chuck. This is Chuck. I want to ask you, first of all, like I say, how come when it's your turn to talk, you put your right hand down on the podium like this and brace yourself like it's a earthquake? Why you do that?
Chuck: You have to speak with power. You have to speak with conviction, let people know you in the room. So you just put your hand down to get their attention, first and foremost.
Danny: That didn't make no sense. Now here's my next question for Chuck. This is also Chuck. When it's Kenny turn to talk. Ernie throw it to Kenny. So Ernie got the ball. This is not a real ball, but it's a pretend ball. And he throw it to Kenny. Why come does it look like — and first, like I say — that Kenny looks like he's about to give toddler bad news. Why does he have that pained expression on his face when it's his time?
Kenny: I can answer that.
Danny: Go head, Kenny. Back to you.
Kenny: Because. Hey Chuck, because every time you ask me a question, Chuck, I have to hear it like, 'First of all...' And it's not really first of all. It's usually second of all, or third of all, or fourth of all, or fifth of all. So he's always using the same one as if it's the first time we're hearing it, and it's not. That's why I'm in a painful look.
Danny: That made sense. You see how that answer made sense?
Chuck: First of all, Kenny makes sense...
Kenny: First of all! There it is! There it is! First of all! There it is! There it is! First of all!
Breaking up into laughter, Danny was politely reminded by Ernie to "stay in character."
Danny: That's right, I apologize.
Kenny: First of all. Go ahead. First of all, what?
Chuck: No, I'm saying. You make sense, Ernie makes sense and I make sense. That's the way this show works.
Kenny: What about Shaq?
Chuck: Don't make no sense.
Shaq: I don't need to. I make dollars and cents.
Ernie: Go ahead, Chuck.
Danny: Oh, thank you very much, Ernie. So, this is Chuck again for Chuck. My question is, how come every time there's a highlight and there's a center, not even in the game but in the arena — maybe he hurt, he in street clothes — how come Shaq take credit for the center? He didn't invent the position but he act like he do. How come he do that?
Chuck: Thank you, Danny! Thank you ve-ry much! He can't give no big man no credit!
Shaq: Alright, well let me answer that. Because I'm the reigning Don dada of all big men. Period. That's why I can speak on that. If you don't like it, do something about it, Chuck. I'll come to Washington, D.C. and get some furniture moving down there.
At this point in the interview, Danny (still remaining in character as Chuck) let the viewers know about Shaq's challenge, saying, "So I'd like to do a joke between Shaq and Charles, if that's okay with you."
In a bold creative choice, Danny took on the tall task of impersonating both people for this knock-knock joke.
Shaq: So, knock knock. Knock knock, Chuck. Let me ask you, shut up. Let me ask you something, Chuck. Knock knock, Chuck.
Chuck: I don't want to have a knock knock joke with you, dummy.
Shaq: Knock knock, Chuck.
Chuck: Fine. Who's there?
Shaq: A second trip to the Finals.
Chuck: A second trip...
Shaq: Never mind. Wrong house. You see what I did there?
Danny then prodded Chuck about his guarantees always being wrong.
"Do you think it's important to ever get a guarantee right?" "No." 🤣 pic.twitter.com/aOsachwrgi
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 9, 2021
They wrapped up the segment with one final question from Danny, who slid a verbal nightmare into Chuck's mouth.
Danny: My last question is if Bojan Bogdanovic and Bogdan Bogdanovic went to fight for Bogdanovic supremacy, who would win?
Chuck: The big Bogdanovic.
Danny: Which one is that?
Chuck: You said Boban [Marjanovic], right?
Danny: No. No. Bojan and Bogdan.
Chuck: Uhhh.......
Ernie, kindly throwing Chuck a lifeline, said, "The Utah Bogdanovic or the Atlanta Bogdanovic?"
Chuck: Oh, I love the Atlanta Bogdanovic. I'm going with the Atlanta Bogdanovic.
Danny: That's also correct.
In total, it was about seven minutes of airtime for Rouhier with absolutely zero seconds wasted.
What a memorable week for Danny Rouhier.
